Middle East latest: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill more than 50 people, including kids
Mr Biden told African leaders the resource-rich continent of more than 1.4 billion people had been “left behind for much too long”. “But not anymore,” Mr Biden added. “Africa is the future.” Mr Biden used the third and final day of a visit to Angola – his long-awaited, first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president – to travel to the coastal city of Lobito and tour an Atlantic port terminal that’s part of the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment. Mr Biden described it as the largest US investment in a train project outside America. The US and allies are investing heavily in the project that will refurbish nearly 1,200 miles of train lines connecting to the mineral-rich areas of Congo and Zambia in central Africa. The corridor, which likely will take years to complete, gives the US better access to cobalt, copper and other critical minerals in Congo and Zambia that are used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies that Mr Biden said would power the future. China is dominant in mining in Congo and Zambia. The US investment has strategic implications for US-China economic competition, which went up a notch this week as they traded blows over access to key materials and technologies. The African leaders who met with Mr Biden on Wednesday said the railway corridor offered their countries a much faster route for minerals and goods – and a convenient outlet to Western markets. “This is a project that is full of hope for our countries and our region,” said Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, whose country has more than 70% of the word’s cobalt. “This is not just a logistical project. It is a driving force for economic and social transformation for millions of our people.” The leaders said the corridor should spur private-sector investment and improve a myriad of related areas like roads, communication networks, agriculture and clean energy technologies. For the African countries, it could create a wave of new jobs for a burgeoning young population. Cargo that once took 45 days to get to the US – usually involving trucks via South Africa – would now take around 45 hours, Mr Biden said. He predicted the project could transform the region from a food importer to exporter. It’s “something that if done right will outlast all of us and keep delivering for our people for generations to come,” he said. The announcement of an additional $600 million took the U.S.’s investment in the Lobito Corridor to 4.0 billion dollars (£3.15 billion).Former San Jose mayor celebrated at rotunda naming ceremonyOklahoma sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold will enter the transfer portal, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. A five-star recruit in 2023 out of Denton, Texas, Arnold began this season as the starter, lost his spot and later regained it as the Sooners went 6-6. Monday is the first day that underclassmen can transfer during the winter portal window. Arnold completed 154 of 246 passes (62.6 percent) for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games. He also ran the ball 150 times for 444 yards and three TDs, including 25 attempts for 131 yards in the Sooners' 24-3 win over Alabama on Nov. 23. As a freshman last season playing behind Dillon Gabriel, Arnold appeared in seven games and was 44 of 69 (63.8 percent) for 563 yards, four TDs and three picks. A former Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, Arnold started for Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl last December, when the Sooners lost 38-24 to Arizona. He was QB1 for the 2024 campaign, but three early turnovers caused him to be pulled in a 25-15 defeat to Tennessee on Sept. 21 and replaced by true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Arnold came off the bench to replace Hawkins in a 35-9 loss to South Carolina on Oct. 19, and head coach Brent Venables afterward fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley became the interim play-caller. Venables filled the position permanently on Monday by hiring Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle, who could bring Cougars QB John Mateer with him to Norman, Okla. --Field Level Media
None
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish versus the USC Trojans is one of three games on Saturday’s college basketball schedule that features a ranked team in action. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. No. 18 Baylor Bears at Southern Miss Eagles No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 3 USC Trojans No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels at Ball State Cardinals Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.Canada can’t say when it will clear 140,000 backlogged cases for First Nations kidsShoppers bemused as Easter eggs hit shop shelves before New Year’s Eve
Mr Biden told African leaders the resource-rich continent of more than 1.4 billion people had been “left behind for much too long”. “But not anymore,” Mr Biden added. “Africa is the future.” Mr Biden used the third and final day of a visit to Angola – his long-awaited, first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president – to travel to the coastal city of Lobito and tour an Atlantic port terminal that’s part of the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment. Mr Biden described it as the largest US investment in a train project outside America. The US and allies are investing heavily in the project that will refurbish nearly 1,200 miles of train lines connecting to the mineral-rich areas of Congo and Zambia in central Africa. The corridor, which likely will take years to complete, gives the US better access to cobalt, copper and other critical minerals in Congo and Zambia that are used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies that Mr Biden said would power the future. China is dominant in mining in Congo and Zambia. The US investment has strategic implications for US-China economic competition, which went up a notch this week as they traded blows over access to key materials and technologies. The African leaders who met with Mr Biden on Wednesday said the railway corridor offered their countries a much faster route for minerals and goods – and a convenient outlet to Western markets. “This is a project that is full of hope for our countries and our region,” said Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, whose country has more than 70% of the word’s cobalt. “This is not just a logistical project. It is a driving force for economic and social transformation for millions of our people.” The leaders said the corridor should spur private-sector investment and improve a myriad of related areas like roads, communication networks, agriculture and clean energy technologies. For the African countries, it could create a wave of new jobs for a burgeoning young population. Cargo that once took 45 days to get to the US – usually involving trucks via South Africa – would now take around 45 hours, Mr Biden said. He predicted the project could transform the region from a food importer to exporter. It’s “something that if done right will outlast all of us and keep delivering for our people for generations to come,” he said. The announcement of an additional $600 million took the U.S.’s investment in the Lobito Corridor to 4.0 billion dollars (£3.15 billion).This has all the ingredients for the next heartwarming, made-in-Manitoba holiday Hallmark movie. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * This has all the ingredients for the next heartwarming, made-in-Manitoba holiday Hallmark movie. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? This has all the ingredients for the next heartwarming, made-in-Manitoba holiday Hallmark movie. Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter and two visiting buddies from Switzerland found themselves playing the role of Good Samaritans as they saved some stranded motorists from the side of a snow-swept road last week. “You could just tell they weren’t going to be going anywhere,” Niederreiter told the Free Press on Sunday as he recounted the Boxing Day incident near La Salle in a one-on-one interview following his team’s practice at the Hockey For All Centre. Kyusung Gong/ Associated Press files Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter had assists off the ice this past week, helping stranded motorists from the side of a snow-swept road. “It was pretty windy out there, and some of the side roads were blown over and hadn’t been plowed. We saw a couple cars had got stuck, someone was out shovelling, so we pulled one family out, and then went a different way and there was another guy who was struggling. We helped that guy out, too.” In the first case, a young couple and their mother had been trying to shovel their way out of trouble. “The one guy recognized me immediately,” Niederreiter said with a laugh. The 32-year-old is a true power forward who isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty in front of the opposing net, so his strength came in handy for this non-hockey related task. “We helped him shovel out the car, and then we all pushed him out. We got some good grip there,” he said. In the second incident, Niederreiter used his vehicle to tow a stuck truck out of the snowbank. “He had everything pretty much set up so we just hooked him on to my car and pulled him out that way,” he said. “It definitely was cold. The wind was really going. But we were ready for it.” Indeed they were, since the purpose of this excursion about 30 kilometres south of Winnipeg was to go snowmobiling. Niederreiter’s financial planner, who lives in Winnipeg, had arranged for them to go on a guided tour. Given that there was no way to go all the way home to Switzerland for what was just a three-day player break, this seemed like a perfect way to enjoy some time away from the rink — even if it didn’t initially go as planned. “What should have probably taken 30 minutes to get to ended up taking about an hour and a half. We were way late to get there,” said Niederreiter. “But once we did, it was a lot of fun. We snowmobiled down the rivers, and it was just awesome.” Niederreiter is no stranger to snow and cold given his roots, but this was actually his first time on the back of a snowmobile. “It was very cool. The first 30 minutes we were kind of really cautious, but then as you go along you start racing a little bit,” he said. Niederreiter is now in his second full season with Winnipeg, and third overall, and said this really drove home what a tight-knit and hockey-crazed community this is. “It was fun. And it’s probably also good for them to see that we are just regular people like everyone else,” he said. “Obviously we are fortunate to have certain talent to play in this league, so it’s kind of cool to see that everybody is the same.” Niederreiter is under contract for two more years at US$4 million and has become an integral part of the NHL’s No. 1 team at 26-10-1 following Saturday’s 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators as the post-Christmas schedule got underway. While playing on a shutdown line with Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton, he has 19 points (10G, 9A) in 37 games so far this year, which has him on pace for his most productive offensive season since 2016-17 when he was a member of the Minnesota Wild. Niederreiter will face his former team, the Nashville Predators, on Monday night at Canada Life Centre — career game No. 925. He’s on track to hit the 1,000 game mark early next season. While Winnipeg has been one of the league’s biggest success stories so far, Nashville is the polar opposite. They limp to town with an 11-18-7 record — 30th overall in the 32-team league. This, despite adding prominent free agent forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault in free agency last summer, along with defenceman Brady Skjei. “I would say the whole league is surprised where they are in the standings,” said Niederrieter, who was acquired by the Jets in a trade with the Predators in February 2023. “If you look at some of the moves they made in the summer and if you look at them on paper, they’re supposed to be a powerhouse. But they’re kind of struggling. Who knows if they will find their way, find their groove, but obviously they have a lot of catching up to do if they want to get into the playoffs.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Jets will fly to Denver immediately after Monday’s game to face the Colorado Avalanche on New Year’s Eve. They’ll then return home to play eight straight games at Canada Life Centre, which should provide Niederreiter with plenty of opportunities to hit the trails another time. “My girlfriend has never done it, so I’m definitely going to back there on a day off and go for a cruise for a couple hours down the river,” he said. “I’m into nature. It’s so beautiful out there. Just have to make sure it’s a day where it’s not too cold.” mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the before joining the in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. . Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the before joining the in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. . Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement(The Center Square) - With the state legislature’s new priority on reducing the state’s high cost of living, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are rolling out proposals to reduce the cost of energy and drug prescriptions. Democrats have held a trifecta in state government since 2010, including supermajorities in the State Assembly and Senate. “It’s clear we must chart a new path forward and renew the California dream by focusing on affordability,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, in his opening floor speech of the new legislative session. Republicans in the State Senate and Assembly unveiled bills to repeal the state’s new Low Carbon Fuel Standards, which will increase fuel costs by $162 billion to fund clean transportation fuel credits that include $105 billion in electric vehicle charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen credits. The new LCFS standard, approved by the California Air Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — is expected to add up to 65 cents to the cost of each gallon of gasoline next year. Once factoring in other regulations, such as new refinery regulations passed by the governor, Californians will pay up to $1.15 more for gas next year, meaning the average California driver will need to make up to $1,000 more per year in pre-tax income to break even. “Californians already pay the highest gas prices in the nation, and Gavin Newsom’s political agenda is about to make them even higher,” said Senate Minority Leader Jones, R-San Diego, in a statement. “Our Day 1 priority is protecting Californians at the pump. SB 2 will immediately repeal the Newsom Administration’s 65 cent gas price hike and put an end to their most recent price gouging scheme.” State Senator Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, also unveiled a new proposal to reduce drug prices by regulating pharmacy benefit manager middlemen, building on his work from the prior legislative session. Wiener’s office says that “the share of total spending on prescription drugs that goes to drug manufacturers has declined, while over half of every dollar spent on brand medicines goes to pharmaceutical industry middlemen like PBMs.” According to the California Department of Managed Care, prescription drug costs have risen 5 percentage points per year over the last five years, suggesting most of the increases are being accrued by PBMs. Wiener's new bill, SB 41 , would ban “spread pricing,” in which PBMs charge health insurance plans more for drugs than what they pay to reimburse pharmacies, keeping the difference as profit. SB 966, his bill signed into law last year, ensures patient cost-sharing is based on actual drug costs and requires manufacturer rebates to be passed through to reduce patient costs. “When basic life necessities like medication become unaffordable in blue states, working people pay the price,” said Wiener in a statement. “As Democrats, we should be leading on making people’s lives better and more affordable. It’s past time California caught up with other states and put basic protections in place to contain the astronomical cost of basic medications.”
Bitcoin surges above $100,000